


Sourin collection

by FlipSideofC



Category: Free!
Genre: Also Rin blushes a lot, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Humor, Background ReiGisa - Freeform, Blogging, Bottom!Rin, Filming sex, Fluff and Humor, Fluff and Smut, Future Fic, Hot!Sousuke in police uniform, Kisumi x OC, LLF Comment Project, Lots and lots of snuggling, Lube, M/M, Marriage Proposal, NSFW, Netflix and Chill, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Probably because I like that too, Rin likes uniforms, Rin's ass rocks, SouRin Summer Fest 2016, UST, Videotape kink, background MakoHaru, cause I like that, friends in denial, top!Sousuke
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-12
Updated: 2016-07-31
Packaged: 2018-07-23 14:57:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 6,992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7467996
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FlipSideofC/pseuds/FlipSideofC
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"How to be a total man-magnet, or – how to make him fall in love with you”<br/>Rin tried to turn the page again… he really did, but he just had to read this. It couldn’t hurt, right?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Is he the one? (part 1)

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on Tumblr (FlipSideOfC)
> 
> Previously called "Sourin Drafts" and "Sourin works & drafts".
> 
> Marked as completed to show up in related searches. New stories may still be added to the collection if my mood strikes.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Is he the one for you?” the headline asked, helpfully. Rin internally tried to roll his eyes, but found himself reading anyway. Maybe he was just looking out for Gou… yeah.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted on Tumbr (FlipSideOfC)

Rin sighed in boredom as he sat in the waiting room at the doctor’s office. He was early for his routine checkup and had already exhausted his regular online routine on the way over. His red eyes scanned the magazines on the table. Hunting? Nope. Retired life? Nha. Being pregnant? No f-ing way. Rin finally grabbed a girly-looking magazine and started flipping through it. 

After having learned more than he ever wanted on the subject of eyeliner and read articles on women in the workforce which made him resolve to hug his mother more (and vow to kill anyone who tried to bully his sister in the future), Rin found himself reading an article on soulmates. “Is he the one for you?” the headline asked, helpfully. Rin internally tried to roll his eyes, but found himself reading anyway. Maybe he was just looking out for Gou… yeah.

1\. Is he your best friend?

Well… Sousuke was his best friend, so what? Dumb article…making him think of Sousuke… not that he hadn’t immediately thought of his best friend when reading the headline alone. His thoughts had strayed in that direction for quite a while, although he desperately tried not to.

2\. Can you imagine living with him, sleeping in the same bed, brushing your teeth together?

Wtf, Rin muttered to himself. That was cheating, they already lived together dammit! He desperately tried to picture himself living with someone else… any other guy… Haru? (mackerel every day…too robotic) Makoto? (kittens everywhere…too sweet) Rei? (even more anal than himself..and that laugh…no) Nagisa? (way way too much sugar…) Ai? (too messy…too adoring… and pink porn) Momo? (obsessed with his cleavage…and stag beatles…and constantly high).

Rin sighed, ok so all other guys were out. He quickly squashed the thought that he might be a little hard to live with himself. He was a neat freak, he knew that, and liked to eat healthy. Still, Sousuke didn’t appear to mind. Also, they had a great kitchen routine… Rin wrenched his thought away from the mental image of Sousuke in an apron and how nice it was to cook dinner together every night and moved on to the next point.

3\. They inspire you to be the best version of yourself.

Rin thought of Sousuke’s support during the past years, how he helped when Rin was captain at Samezuka, how he inspired him now when he was training for the time trials and through university. He was so damn supportive. Sousuke’s own training and theory talks pushed Rin to be better every day. Rin tried to wipe the sappy look from his face. Fortunately, there was no one nearby to see it.

4\. He knows what makes you happy.

Rin smiled to himself. Only yesterday, Sousuke had… No! No more sappy thoughts!

…Sousuke did know how to make him happy though, he couldn’t deny that even if he tried.

5\. They don’t expect you to solve their problems.

Not that Sousuke didn’t appreciate his help, but he had found a good therapist and worked hard to solve his shoulder issue. If anything, Sousuke didn’t let him solve enough of his problems, although Rin did that anyway. That self-sufficient idiot, Rin muttered. Well, they were still working on that, but they were so much better at relying on each other these days.

6\. You can be yourself around him.

Rin thought of their last lazy night in, when they had played video games for hours and just been copious dorks. He never had to put on a front with Sousuke, he…

7\. He loves you for you.

Yeah right, thank you stupid magazine. Very helpful. Rin swallowed. Sousuke did love him for him, even if he didn’t love him that way.

8\. Being with him makes you happy and excited.

Yes rub it in, will you. And you already had happy in number 4, kind of… Rin pouted.

9\. Do you like the way he looks? Do you like the smell of his skin? His touch?

Rin flushed and swallowed, an image of Sousuke in the shower forcing itself into his mind. Other images followed though – how he looked when sleeping, when smiling, when swimming. How much Rin enjoyed his flatmate constantly falling asleep leaning on him. He quickly turned the page, trying to distract himself.

“How to be a total man-magnet, or – how to make him fall in love with you”

Rin tried to turn the page again… he really did, but he just had to read this. It couldn’t hurt, right? Not that he needed lessons or anything, except apparently he really did since Sousuke wasn’t in love with him. Ok fine, so maybe he did want Sousuke to love him back – and he did not just admit that he loved him either. No way.

But, hypothetically… how should he act then?

1\. Lean forward. Body language is important. Show him your interest.

Rin nodded to himself. Ok, he was going to lean a lot, no problem. Easy.

Just then the nurse called him into the doctor’s office. Rin reluctantly put the magazine down. Before leaving after the checkup later he hesitated by the table and finally brought the magazine home with him. He could return it the next time.


	2. Is he the one? (part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "How to be a total man-magnet, or – how to make him fall in love with you”  
> Rin tried to turn the page again… he really did, but he just had to read this. It couldn’t hurt, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted on Tumblr (FlipSideofC).
> 
> See chapter 1 for the beginning.

_"How to be a total man-magnet, or – how to make him fall in love with you”_

_Rin tried to turn the page again… he really did, but he just had to read this. It couldn’t hurt, right? Not that he needed lessons or anything, except apparently he really did since Sousuke wasn’t in love with him. Ok fine, so maybe he did want Sousuke to love him back – and he did not just admit that he loved him either. No way._

_But, hypothetically… how should he act then?_

_1._ _Lean forward. Body language is important. Show him your interest._

_Rin nodded to himself. Ok, he was going to lean a lot, no problem. Easy._

_Just then the nurse called him into the doctor’s office. Rin reluctantly put the magazine down. Before leaving after the checkup later he hesitated by the table and finally brought the magazine home with him. He could return it the next time._

 

¤¤¤ 

 

Sousuke blinked in confusion when Rin leaned into him – again.

“Rin, did you pull a muscle in training today?”

“N…no.”

“You look tense. Here, I’ll help you.”

“Ok…thanks.”

“No problem. Now, take of your shirt.”

 

Rin frowned. The leaning hadn’t helped at all…although Sousuke _had_ given him a massage, so maybe he should count it a success anyway? He eagerly scanned the text for the next step. The magazine already looked a bit worn and Rin had marked the two articles with paperclips.

2.       Use lighting to your advantage. Dim light makes his pupils dilate, which makes him think you more attractive.

What? Really??? Well…at least it was easy to try out.

 

“Rin? Why is it so dark in here? …Rin?”

“All lamps are broken. We’ll have to use a flashlight.”

“What? We can just switch them, can’t we? I think we have spare bulbs in the box under the bed.”

Sousuke came closer, attempting to locate the box in the dim light. He tripped on Rin’s gym bag and fell on the bed, right on top of Rin.

 

Ok…so that was a really bad idea, but still quite nice, Rin told himself. Sousuke had been unusually clumsy when trying to get off him, which was enjoyable enough to almost forget the fiasco with the light.

3.       Mirror his actions. Not all of them, but cross your arms when he does, drink when he does, etc.

 

Sousuke eyed Rin curiously. His red-headed friend was watching him intently with those captivating half-lidded eyes and it was very distracting. Sousuke absentmindedly ate a piece of tonkatsu and noticed that Rin’s eyes followed the move closely. Ah, he was hungry, of course.

“Rin? You want some?”

“Huh?” Rin flushed when Sousuke brought his chopsticks close to his mouth.

“Here, taste this.”

Rin chewed, cheeks still red.

“Th…thanks.”

“Anytime.”

 

4.       Take advantage of perfume. He’ll be reminded of you when he smells your signature scent elsewhere.

Finally an advice which made sense! Unfortunately for Rin, he quickly discovered that he smelled like chlorine most of the time and not at all of the new (and damn expensive!) perfume he’d bought.

 

“Rin? I found your scarf in the cantina.”

“Really?” Rin frowned. It didn’t look like his. It _was_ though. “Thanks, how did you know?”

“Easy, it smells like chlorine and cherry blossoms. Just like you.”

Rin clutched the scarf to his chest and tried to stop his heart from racing.

 

5.       Wear red. Men love seeing their future partners in red.

Rin wore more red during the next week than he ever had before. He accidently washed the clothing with his white jacket and had to get a new one. Also, Sousuke’s white underwear turned pink. His friend looked pained but didn’t complain much, since Rin was already so upset over the jacket. Rin bought Sousuke a weekly set of new underwear with sharks on. They looked damn good on him. Sousuke must find them really comfortable, as he always wore them.

 

6.       Tone those arms.

Rin chuckled. His arms were toned already. Still, maybe he could use the bench-press a bit more…

 

Rin still tried to forget Sousuke having to rescue him when trying to bench press way more than he could. Sweaty and pinned under a bar was not the look he was going for.

 

7.       Touch him. Play with your hair.

Finally an easy one! Rin enjoyed using every opportunity to casually touch Sousuke. He might have overdone it with the playing with his hair though, as it ended up all tangled. Rin sighed in misery as Sousuke worked on un-tangling it, his fingers buried in his hair. It must’ve been really bad since it was taking him so long. So embarrassing.

 

8.       Use your voice. Giggle. Make your voice sound lilting and sweet.

9.       Don’t walk, strut. Swagger and sway your hips.

Those two points were the final straw for Rin. He would never forget Sousuke’s wide eyes when he tried to giggle and make his voice “sweet”. A classmate who had also attended Samezuka even asked him if he wanted to bring out the old maid costume to suit the occasion. The memory made Rin groan in mortification. Strutting was, if possible, an even worse idea. Swaggering and swaying his hips had made him fall over on the way to practice and he would have seriously injured himself if Sousuke hadn’t caught him (being held by him wasn’t nice enough to make up for it…even though it was comfy).

 

Rin sneered at the last suggestion – “10. Be interesting”, and read the final words of the article with a frown.

“If these tips don’t work, maybe he’s just not that into you.”

Rin swallowed. He wasn’t going to cry dammit. He tossed the magazine in a drawer and left to take a jog.

 

¤¤¤

 

Sousuke rummaged around the drawers, looking for the next volume in the book series he was reading. Rin had borrowed vol 1, so maybe he also had vol 2 somewhere. A pink magazine greeted him. Sousuke frowned a bit. While Rin sometimes borrowed reading material from Gou (both things he admitted to reading and not) this looked well-read and not really like Gou, who frankly was more into muscle and fitness magazines than girly ones.

Sousuke opened the magazine and located the two marked articles, which also had some notes in Rin’s handwriting ("terrible idea", "worked...kind of", "disaster"). Sousuke read them. He read them again – and again. He sat down. He might have chuckled fondly a bit. He finally brought out a pen and scribbled something at the end.

 

¤¤¤

 

Rin picked up the magazine. He really should return it, even if he had read it several times and scribbled in it. He opened the magazine and read his old comments again. Gods…how embarrassing. Still, some of them had been nice… but…  No! No buts… “maybe he’s just not that into you”.

Rin frowned. There was something written at the end - and it wasn’t his own handwriting.

“Or maybe he’s definitely into you too and you should just tell him, instead if attempting giggling.”

Rin blinked.

“Also, you do look good in red. Especially my red shirt.”

Rin went to the closet, pulled Sousuke’s red shirt on and promptly went to kiss his new boyfriend.

 

“Took you long enough.”

“Shut up.”

 

 


	3. Netflix and Chill (short)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Rin, just how much lube did you bring?!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted on Tumblr (FlipSideOfC)

“Rin, just how much lube did you bring?!”  Sousuke looked at the amount of tubes that filled the bag in front of them with an incredulous face.

“What? _You_ were the one who said you wanted us to spend all week in bed!”

“No I didn’t!”

“Yes, you most certainly _did_!” Rin now started to sound really annoyed, obviously not yet in vacation-mode.

“Nevermind… it’s not as if I think it’s a bad idea.” Sousuke hurried to say, because really - who was he to say no to spending vacation in bed with his hot boyfriend?

“Well, what did you bring then?” Rin muttered, slightly mollified.

“There’s wifi here Rin, so netflix will work fine. I didn’t have to bring any dvds.”

“Sou… that’s… oh god, you think netflix and chill means…”

Rin started laughing. In fact, he was laughing until he cried. While normally a big fan of his boyfriend’s hearty toothy laugh, Sousuke now looked bemused.

“Rin… what the…?”

When the redhead made no move to stop laughing and explain, Sousuke finally brought out his phone. Rin could see the exact moment when Sousuke realized that “netflix and chill” did not, in fact, mean netflix and chill.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be honest I had no idea that “Netflix and Chill” meant anything else either, until I learned it by chance on tumblr or facebook. I have therefore never had the chance to use this lack of knowledge to royally embarrass myself, which is a pity as it would be hilarious. Maybe I’ll pretend I have no idea the next time I take the time to date instead of reading about (hot) fictional gay characters having sex.


	4. Videotaping (short, nsfw)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Show me what it looks like. I wanna see.” Rin murmured, turning his head around to nibble on Sousuke’s ear and offer him a heated look with half-closed eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted om Tumblr (FlipSideOfC)
> 
> Some mandatory PWP.

 

“Rin…. your ass is a gift - you know that?”

Rin was going to say something, probably something about how terribly cheesy that statement was, but Sousuke slamming into him from behind was far too distracting.

“You have no idea how ridiculously hot it is to watch my cock enter you again and again.” Sousuke’s rough voice in his ear almost made Rin come immediately. The redhead cursed, his boyfriend knew how much talking like that turned him on. Well, two could play that game.

“Why don’t you show me?”

“Huh?”

“Show me what it looks like. I wanna see.”  Rin murmured, turning his head around to nibble on Sousuke’s ear and offer him a heated look with half-closed eyes.

“Rin…”

“I want to see you entering me. Come on.”

Sousuke grabbed his phone and recorded a few strokes, trying to will his blush away.

“More…”

Rin had to be the only person who could make whining sexy.

“You want to see how I slam into your gorgeous ass…Rin?”

“Yeees… oh gods Sou do that again…”

“What part?”  Sousuke asked, innocently, purposely missing all Rin’s sweetspots.

“Sou…su…..!”

Sousuke drove into him again, drawing a high-pitched moan. After some fast-paced strokes with only their respective gasps and the slick sound of their bodies echoing in the room, Sousuke finally handed Rin the phone.

Sousuke smirked as Rin’s ears turned red. Rin suddenly gasped and came, hard, making Sousuke laugh.

“Too easy RinRin.”

“Shut up!”

Sousuke was still smiling as he finished and emptied himself inside his blushing, squirming lover.

 

¤¤¤

 

“Hot right?” Sou smirked. “I can delete it now.”

“Don’t you dare!”

Rin watched it again.

 

“Sou… what do I look like when I blow you?”

“Dangerous.” Sousuke grinned.

Rin glared at him.

“Want to see?”

“Yeah…”

 


	5. Police Uniform

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Groaning, Rin tried to piece together his fragmented memories from last night. He’d kissed… oh gods, he’d kissed a police officer! …A very hot police officer…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted on Tumblr (FlipSideOfC)

Sousuke swallowed the last of his beer and prepared to leave the bar after a fun night. His friends had convinced him to join a weird costume party in a nearby town. The others were leaving for another bar, but he didn’t feel like joining them tonight. 

Someone leaned into him, startling him. Sousuke frowned and opened his mouth, prepared to get rid of the probably drunken idiot, when he was met with a pair of beautiful crimson eyes, framed by brilliant maroon hair. He forgot all about his earlier plans and his brain became even more unhelpful when the really _really_ cute redhead promptly sat down on his lap and kissed him.

 

¤¤¤

 

Rin woke up, feeling awful. After a while, he was able to determine that he was in his own bed - alone. He wasn’t yet sure if that was a good or bad thing though. Groaning, Rin tried to piece together his fragmented memories from last night. He’d been out with friends. They’d hit some bar they’d never tried before. There were very nice colorful drinks. Lots of them. Apparently stronger than he’d thought. They’d played some drinking game. There was a dare involved. He’d kissed… oh gods, he’d kissed a _police officer_! …A very _hot_ police officer… 

Rin tried to remember more, but only snippets surfaced. They’d kissed a lot, made out a bit… He’d started to feel tired and… the police officer had brought him home! Rin quickly scrutinized his body and clothing. He was still wearing all his clothes from last night and it didn’t feel as if something had happened. Not that he’d minded…probably…but still. He noticed that someone had left water on his nightstand and he saw his jacket neatly hung over a chair together with his necklace. Rin smiled softly.

 

¤¤¤

 

Sousuke ran towards the classroom, cursing his bad sense of direction. He was one minute from being late to his first university class of the semester. Sousuke sat down in the first chair he could find, with seconds to spare. He breathed in relief and scrambled to get his books out while the teacher started the class. Where the f was his pen?? 

While he rummaged through his bag, someone handed him a pen. Sousuke silently mouthed “thank you” and threw a quick look at his savior – his very redheaded and _familiar_ savior. Sousuke blinked in confusion and blushed. The redhead eyed him curiously, mouthed “no problem” and turned around to take notes.

 

¤¤¤  

 

Rin grinned at his flatmate and friend. “Sousuke, come on!”  They squeezed inside the full bus and tried to find some centimeters to spare. Rin found himself sandwiched between Sousuke’s hard body and a window, not that he minded much. Rin had to remind himself that Sousuke was his friend and that jumping friends was a Very Bad Idea™, even if they were really really attractive. 

It wasn’t Sousuke’s fault that he was both a great friend – his best friend in fact - and looked similar to Rin’s ideal guy. Rin also had to remind himself that it was ridiculous to be so hung up on an old crush that he let it completely determine his type. Unfortunately, Rin was romantic that way and therefore had a thing for tall, muscular, dark-haired guys with gentle eyes, even if they didn’t come in police uniforms, which he’d also developed a fetish for. Gods…so pathetic.

 

¤¤¤

 

When Sousuke had seen Rin sitting in the classroom, he’d been floored. What were the odds? When the cute redhead didn’t appear to recognize him at all, Sousuke wasn’t sure if he was happy or sad about that – or if he should say something. Now, after getting to know him, he was actually quite happy about how it turned out. Rin was a wonderful friend. They’d hit it off immediately - and when Rin’s roommate moved out shortly after their first meeting, Sousuke had moved in. They’d been inseparable since. 

Had Rin remembered, he might not have had the opportunity to get to know him like this. Still, there were numerous occasions when Sousuke longed to touch him again. He hadn’t been so drunk that night and all details were still ingrained in his mind, including the fact that kissing Rin was something he could grow addicted to. Something he _was_ addicted to was Rin’s friendship though, so he’d just have to try not thinking about it.

 

¤¤¤

 

Rin brought out yet another box to unpack. Their new flat looked great and everything was mostly in order. Rin pulled out a pair of pants and scrutinized them. Far too big for him, so they must belong to Sousuke. Rin put the pants back in the box on top of the matching jacket and moved to get another box. He stopped and frowned. Rin slowly brought the box back and opened it again. 

His hands shook slightly when pulling out the police uniform. He stared at it. There were several reasons why Sousuke would have a police uniform, but then again there was also a nagging voice in the back of Rin’s head that helpfully tried to convince him to start adding several facts up.

Sousuke entered the room. “Rin, your friend Hazuki is here and…”

“Where were you on Friday Feb 2nd 2 years ago?”  Rin interrupted, clutching the uniform in his hands.

Sousuke’s eyes widened and he opened his mouth to speak, although he didn’t get a word out before the blond bundle behind him.

“Rin-chan! What a great apartment! It looks wonderful! You’ve managed to get unpacked so quickly! I still have boxes from 4 years ago and Rei-chan says…”  “Oooooh is that a _police uniform_!? Is it yours Sou-chan? Did you know Rin-chan has a thing for men in uniform?”

“Nagisa, shut up!” Rin bit out, just as Sousuke, aghast, silently mouthed “Sou… _chan_?”.

“I kid you not, there’s this guy he’s been crushing on for years… police uniform, tall, dark hair, teal eyes…”

Nagisa looked at Rin, then Sousuke, fell silent and suddenly realized he had a very urgent meeting. Rin and Sousuke stared at each other as the blond took off, for once not chattering.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Rin whispered.

“I didn’t think you remembered anything…  You didn’t recognize me at all when we met. And then we got along so well… I didn’t want to lose that. I _couldn’t_ lose that.”

Rin digested this in silence, then stood up, looking determined.

“Put it on.”

“Huh?”

“Put it on.”

“Rin…”

Rin glared at him. Sousuke put it on, not bothering to step out or turn around when changing. It was a bit embarrassing with Rin staring at him all the time, but also kind of hot. Weird hot, but still. Then again, weird hot was Rin in a nutshell – and he’d asked for it after all. Once dressed Sousuke crossed his arms, looking slightly grumpy.

“Happy?”

“Quite.”

“…This is stupid. I’ll take it off.”

“Later”, Rin murmured, smiling slightly, before jumping him, again.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one was basically written only because Sousuke looks ridiculously hot in a police uniform - solid proof, see exhibit 1 (http://www.zerochan.net/1802134) and exhibit 2 (https://se.pinterest.com/pin/316026098826796271/ ).
> 
> Right? Right? Am-I-right? Well, Rin thinks so anyway.


	6. The Future's Looking Bright

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “10 years? 10 years!!?”  
> “Easy Rin.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted on Tumblr (FlipSideOfC)

 

Rin felt a warm body next to him and woke up to a dim room that he immediately realized wasn’t his own. His heart started to beat in panic. What had he done last night? Hadn’t he been in the dorms?

“Rin?” A husky and familiar voice mumbled next to him.

Rin relaxed slightly. Sousuke. While they were not usually in bed together, the fact that he was here too made Rin instantly calm.

“Sousuke? Where are we?”

“Huh?”

“Where are we? I don’t recognize this place.”

“Yes, I cleaned yesterday. Thank you for noticing.”

“No, I mean it Sousuke! Where are we?!”

Rin closed his eyes as light flooded the room. He blinked, trying to located Sousuke. His friend’s familiar face came into focus in front of him. He looked… well, he looked really good…but… Rin stared at Sousuke, an obviously _older_ Sousuke.  

“Rin?”

 

¤¤¤

 

“10 years? 10 years!!?”

“Easy Rin.”

Rin took a few deep breaths and swallowed. “10 years……Sousuke! Your shoulder!?”

“Hmmm?”

“Your shoulder, is it ok!?”

Sousuke started laughing. “ _That’s_ your first question? Oh Rin…”

Sousuke looked at him so fondly that Rin blushed bright red. “W..what?”

“My shoulder is just fine Rin. In large part thanks to you by the way.”

“Me?”

“I was doing rehab at home, but you thought my therapist was an idiot, found another in Australia and dragged me there. I can swim, only not competitively, so I’ve found another calling.”

Rin searched Sousuke’s face for any indication of what he felt about that, but Sousuke looked relaxed enough. “Well…in that case I’m glad for you. So what do you do?”

“I coach athletes and consult on injuries, mostly online.”

“Are you happy?”

“Yes.”

“Really?”

“Really Rin.”  Sousuke smiled gently. “I am very happy. Coaching is a lot of fun, it suits me.”

 

Rin exhaled in relief. Satisfied Sousuke was ok Rin decided to turn to the rest of his family.

“How is mom? And Gou? Grandma?”

“They are all fine.”

“Where are we by the way?” Rin’s eyes scanned the room quickly. He couldn’t see much outside as it was dark, but the room looked nice and comforting. A big bedroom in semi Japanese-European style with a large bed. Wardrobes. Chairs. A dresser with a few pictures and trinkets. Art that looked nice. Rin immediately liked it, it looked …like home.

“We’re in Paris.”

“Paris!? We live there?”

“At the moment, yes. We’ve lived in Sydney, Tokyo and New York as well.”

Rin tried to digest this.

“Did I… um… do I still swim?”

“You sure do, although you’ve said the next Olympics will probably be your last. We’ve discussed going back home and open a gym after that.”

“Olympics… I _did_ go to the Olympics.”

“Of course you did. As a matter of fact, you’ve been in two.”

“Oh wow…” Rin looked giddy. Sousuke automatically pushed some of his red hair behind his ear, making Rin jump slightly, blushing.

“Sorry.”

“No…no! I was just a little…surprised.”

 

“You know, out of all your questions, I can’t help but noticing you haven’t said anything about your current sleeping arrangements. If I recall, we hadn’t progressed to this point 10 years ago. Or?”

Rin flushed. “No… but…”

Sousuke grinned gleefully. “You know, I’ve never managed to get you to confess exactly when you fell in love with me… Apparently earlier than I thought.”

Rin bit his lip, looking a bit shy. “I haven’t said anything… I’ve been afraid I’d wreck our friendship.”

“You won’t. Trust me, he’ll be overjoyed, I should know. And I can assure you we’re still the best of friends. Being together won’t destroy that, only make it better.”

Rin looked embarrassed but pleased. “R…really?”

“I’ve basically been in love with you since elementary school Rin.”

“Mom and everyone are ok with it?”  Rin looked anxious. “Not that it changes anything, but…”

“Your grandmother might be a little sad about the lack of kids, but we’ve managed to placate her by promising to adopt later. Everyone is fine with it, everyone that matters anyway. Don’t worry. Actually Gou is a bit too happy…”

Rin laughed.

“What do I look like in 10 years? Do you have a picture?”

“You look great, as usual”, Sousuke supplied, pointing to the dresser. Rin hesitated.

“I see you naked on a daily basis RinRin love”, Sousuke sounded amused, but tossed him a shirt.

Clad in the shirt, which at least covered his ass, barely, Rin padded over to the dresser to look at the pictures. His eyes skimmed over pictures of his mom, Gou, Sousuke’s parents and several friends (some had aged well, like Sousuke, while others… had not), as well as a large frame with a couple clad in festive clothing.

“We’re married??”

“Of course we are. It was obviously super romantic. It’s you.”

Rin grinned. He then spotted a large heap of olympic medals nearby and looked stunned. “Oh god… Sousuke, I…”

 

¤¤¤

 

Rin groggily woke up, tossing and whimpering, Sousuke shaking him awake. Rin immediately latched onto him, hugging him tight.

 

_~~Really Rin. I am very happy~~_

 

“Sousuke! I had a dream and you…”

Sousuke looked at him, both expectant and worried, but suddenly the recollection of the dream was gone and Rin was left trembling, confused, wondering what on earth he was doing. His breathing hitched.

“Sousuke, could…could you stay here?”

“Of course. Did you have a nightmare? You look… a little perturbed?”

“Yeah… yes, I think so.”

 

_~~Olympics… I did go to the Olympics!~~_

 

Rin sighed… weird…despite having what had to have been a nightmare, he felt like he could achieve absolutely anything. It felt…like everything was going to be just fine.

 

_~~We’re still the best of friends. Being together won’t destroy that, only make it better~~_  

 

Rin crept closer to Sousuke and smiled softly into his (good) shoulder. It couldn’t hurt pretending to be scared, just for one night.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good of Rin and Sou to fluff around a bit (a lot) while I wrestle with a smutty one which is giving me grief by trying to grow by absorbing other drafts in it. An Australia fic is doing the same, but at least there are a few that behaves a bit, for now. Ghaaa.


	7. Early decisions (slight NSFW)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You can’t decide who you’re going to marry now. It’s too early!”  
> Rin snorted.  
> “You have a different opinion Matsuoka?”  
> “I most certainly do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted on Tumblr (FlipSideofC)

“You can’t decide who you’re going to marry now. It’s too early!”

Rin snorted.

“You have a different opinion Matsuoka?”

“I most certainly do.”

“What, you’re going to marry your boyfriend Matsuoka? Seriously? You’ve only been dating for, what? 6 months or so? You’re 19!”

“I didn’t say we were going to get married now, but I know we will. Sousuke and I go way back.”

“You’re such a romantic idiot.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing”, Rin grinned his signature smirk.

¤¤¤

Sousuke made love to him. It was never bad, almost always really good, but this session was in the top 10 for sure. Sousuke’s hand joined the party and what little of Rin’s brain that remained moved it to top 5…

…definitely top 5.

Rin cuddled up with Sousuke afterwards, snuggling closer.

“Love you Sou”, he mumbled.

“So I’ve heard”, his boyfriend grunted, although he sounded quite pleased with both the statement and himself.

“Ass”, Rin muttered, but sighed contentedly, still coming down from his high. Sousuke should be pleased with himself after this. He’d had been particularly sweet tonight, which was a bit surprising, as Thursdays was a day he usually worked long hours, as well as attended classes. Normally that meant that when coming home he’d either want to crash and sleep or maybe, possibly, bend Rin over a table for a quickie – not spend at least two hours making him absolutely boneless and satisfied. But hey, he sure wasn’t complaining.

“I had a customer today, one of your classmates in fact.”

“Oh?”

“Seems you’ve advertised my services?”

“Of course I have! Even if I wasn’t your supportive boyfriend enough people have been asking who did my tat. I’ve been singing your praises.” Rin rolled his decorated collarbone. “So what did he want done?”

“Oh he just wanted some standard signs…” “…Oh, also he said you’re going to marry me”, Sousuke added teasingly. “Did you really tell your class that?”

“So what if I did?”, Rin bit out defensively, flushing.

He turned away, pouting, but Sousuke could spot the slight hurt in Rin’s expressive face.

“Hey Rin…”

“What?” Rin muttered, still sulking.

“You don’t think I mind, do you?” Sousuke asked incredulously, trying to get his boyfriend to turn around.

Rin ignored him.

“It made me really happy you know… I’ve been smiling all day. My boss was wondering what was wrong with me.”

“Yeah?” Rin asked, looking a bit less irked.

“Rin, I’ve been in love with you since before I knew what love was. I can’t imagine spending my life with anyone but you.”

Rin was smiling now. Sousuke cradled his cheek.

“It’s always been you.”

“Well good”, Rin muttered, a bit embarrassed, leaning into Sousuke’s hand. “I’ll ask you to marry me later.”

“Yeah? I’m going to ask you first.”

“You wish! I’ll be first!”

“We’ll see about that.”

“You’re on!”

¤¤¤

[years later]

Rin snuggled closer to Sousuke, who was just waking up.

“Mmmm…I am so lucky”, Rin whispered.

“Whyzzat?” Sousuke mumbled.

“To have met you so early…” 

Rin offered up a sleepy half-smile. Framed by the morning sun the sight made Sousuke’s heart throb.

“Will you marry me?”

“Huh?”

Rin’s flabbergasted face made Sousuke laugh. 

“Will you marry me?”

“You bastard….”

“Ok, so that was not the answer I was going for…”

“Ass! I was going to ask you on graduation!”

Rin kicked him.

“Ok, I take it back.”

“Don’t you dare!”

“You’re such a dork.”

“Your dork.”

“True. My dorky fiancé, that sounds good.”


	8. #Friends in Denial

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> #5th wheel #friends in denial #couple 2 #yes best friend pls slowly put sunscreen all over my almost naked body #you missed a spot #body worship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted on Tumblr (FlipSideofC)

Kisumi hummed to himself as he prepared pictures and texts to upload on his blog, ‘Kisumi’s World’. The last roundtrip had been rewarding. He’d managed to take all the photos that he’d planned and lots more.

After a few hours he looked over the result. The blog looked beautiful, in his opinion. Thankfully, it was also the opinion many others, so Kisumi didn’t have to rely on his own vanity to know that. The modest blog that he’d started a while back just to practice the technique and English, as well as showcase his amateur photos, had grown larger than he ever could’ve dreamed. He posted pictures from his travels, pictures from his photo commissions, jokes, news and a lot of other tidbits.

The funny thing was that one part of the blog, which he’d only uploaded as a joke, had amassed a small fan-base in itself. He’d mentioned his friends and made a bit of a joke of himself being the 5thwheel in a group filled with soulmates who stubbornly refused to realize it themselves. Kisumi wondered what said friends would say if they knew they were the ones making his tags ‘#friends in denial’ and ‘#5th wheel’ so popular…

Kisumi happily pressed ‘post’ on the latest beauty – a picture of Rin and Sousuke (aka denial couple 2) on the beach, putting sunscreen on each other. The picture also included himself in a corner of course, as usual doing his trademark ‘kiss’ gesture.

#5th wheel #friends in denial #couple 2 #yes best friend pls slowly put sunscreen all over my almost naked body #you missed a spot #body worship.

 

¤¤¤

 

Kisumi hummed as he uploaded a true masterpiece that he’d managed to take last night. A photo from dinner with _all six_ of the guys at the same time. Makoto could be seen wiping Haru’s cheek, Nagisa was almost climbing on Rei and Rin and Sousuke were sharing dessert and sitting very close together.

#5th wheel #friends in denial #couple 1 #couple 2 #couple 3 #yes all of them #do I get bingo for catching all 3 at once? #do I get a pokemon badge? #yes I do #so much cuteness #I don’t even

Kisumi wondered what he should post for the blog’s anniversary. He already had a few ideas for the regular tags, but he wanted to do something for ‘#5th wheel’ too. Suddenly he had an idea. He giggled a bit and finally pressed ‘post’.

‘Who do you think will confess first? Please vote below for denial couple 1, 2 or 3. A selected winner will receive an entry ticket to the annual Photo Mania (any year now…). You can even get a date with yours truly if you like :-)’

 

¤¤¤

 

So far denial couple 1 led the race, which wasn’t too surprising, as they had the most pictures uploaded, followed by couple 3. While the blog contained quite a few pictures of Rin and Sousuke, Rin did live in Australia at the moment. Kisumi couldn’t travel there as ridiculously often (or stay as long) as Sousuke, who by now had to know all the airline staff and have a second wardrobe in Rin’s apartment.

Kisumi took a look at the comments and messages. There were quite a few.

‘I vote for couple 3 and I want to get an invitation to the wedding’

‘Couple 1 will win hands down - they’re already married’

‘If couple 2 don’t make it, can I get either of them?’

Kisumi grinned and opened one of the messages.

‘Hello, I actually know couple 2 (and I agree with you, they are ridiculous). I study with R. If I send you a sappy picture of them that you don’t have, can I get a date anyway? You’re cute J’

Kisumi’s eyes widened and he blushed slightly. He hesitated and replied ‘sure why not’. Soon enough, he got a picture. Kisumi fiddled with it and posted it on the blog. He then replied ‘you’ve got a date’, his heart beating faster. Comments and likes started to come in for the latest update - Sousuke arriving at the airport and Rin looking almost euphoric to see him, tagged #5th wheel #friends in denial #couple 2 #the dorks have missed each other a lot #airport romance

 

¤¤¤

 

Kisumi texted Rin that he was on his way. It had taken some time before his schedule allowed him to travel to Australia to collect his date, but that time had been spent chatting and skyping, so Kisumi was even more excited about meeting the guy – James - now. He’d told James that he was staying with Rin and they’d booked a date for the following day.

Kisumi spent the time he didn’t see James by catching up with Rin and Sousuke, which was great fun. He also got a ridiculous amount of new photos for the blog. Really, he thought, they’re making it _way_ too easy for me. The dash now contained several great shots – and if he managed to get himself in there dressed in his tightest shorts for James’ benefit, that was just a coincidence…

‘Sousuke cooking with Rin sitting on the counter next to him, tasting, chatting and stretching after training, #5th wheel #friends in denial #couple 2 #indirect kissing in progress #he looks good in an apron #but even better in swimming trunks #yes we can all see that you’re flexible’

‘Rin and Sousuke brushing their teeth together in matching shark underwear, #5th wheel #friends in denial #couple 2 #matching underwear #so cute #i’m dying’

‘Rin and Sousuke fallen asleep all tangled together on the sofa playing videogames, #5th wheel #friends in denial #couple 2 #dorks cuddling #i am going to tuck them in’

‘Rin driving and Sousuke next to him, pointing at the map - which was upside down - while Rin looked at him with a half-fond, half-exasperated look, #5th wheel #friends in denial #couple 2 #dorks on romantic trip #probably lost in his eyes’

 

¤¤¤

 

“Hey James. Sorry about Kisumi leaving, but I’m sure he’ll be back soon.”

“Yeah… we’ll just have to keep in touch online”, James sighed miserably. Kisumi had turned out to be so much cooler and so much cuter than he’d expected and he was suffering withdrawal already.

“Oh yeah, you guys met online, right? Very romantic!”  Rin grinned.

“Well yes, through his blog really.”

“His blog?” Rin asked, while Sousuke also looked a bit curious.  “He’s never mentioned a blog. What’s it about?”

“Oh - travels, pictures and other fun stuff. It’s really good. I strongly recommend you checking it out.”

“Do you have the link?”

“I’ll send it to you”, James smiled lightly, saving the gleeful smile he wanted to wear until later.

 

¤¤¤

 

Sousuke cooked dinner, Rin lounging on the counter next to him as usual.

‘Here’s the link. It’s a really fun blog. I recommend checking out the tag #5th wheel. Start from the beginning.’

“Oh hey we got the link to Kisumi’s blog”, Rin said, scrolling through the phone.

“Strange that he’s never mentioned it before.”

“Yeah… oh, there are _a lot_ of pictures. I’ll bring it up on your laptop instead.”

“Sure, I’ll be right out.”

Rin sat down to look through the blog. “Sousuke”, he yelled “There are pictures of Makoto and Haru here!”

“Ah, any fun ones?”

“They look really cosy. So married.”  Rin giggled. “Oh there’s Rei and Nagisa too!”

Sousuke made an amused grunt, while concentrating on finishing dinner.

“Hey this is fun Sousuke, he’s calling them denial couple 1 and 3. So true!”

“Who’s couple 2 then?”  Sousuke asked absentmindedly, only slightly curious. However, he was surprised when he received no answer.

“Rin?”

 

When Rin still didn’t answer, Sousuke went into the living room with dinner. Rin was looking at the laptop with a peculiar expression on his face.

“Rin?”

Sousuke poked Rin, who started and flushed. “Quit it!”

“Rin, what is it?”

“I found denial couple 2.”

“Oh, do we know them too?”

Rin turned the laptop so that Sousuke could see the screen. It was occupied by two pictures.

Rin and Sousuke having a water gun fight, laughing like little kids, tagged #5th wheel #friends in denial #couple 2 #dorks playing #wet tshirt

Rin and Sousuke singing karaoke, tagged #5th wheel #friends in denial #couple 2 #dorks singing romantic duet

“What the…”

“We’re denial couple 2 Sousuke! Kisumi’s posting pictures of _us_!”

Sousuke blinked.

“There’s even a poll which couple will confess first.”  Rin’s voice sounded a bit strangled.

 

Sousuke sat down and started scrolling through the pictures and texts from the beginning. Rin was uncharacteristically silent next to him, eyes glued to the screen, a permanent blush settled on his face.

After having gone through the whole 5th wheel tag they ended up looking at a picture collage posted quite recently, containing a photo of Rin looking at Sousuke with a painfully fond smile and a matching picture of Sousuke looking at Rin like he was the sun. #5th wheel #friends in denial #couple 2 #yes I always look at my best friend like this, why?

Rin swallowed, glancing at Sousuke, who also looked a bit red in the face.

Sousuke leaned forward and moved the cursor to the poll to press on the button ‘couple 2’.

“What, are you confessing?”

“That was the confession.”

“That was _not_ a confession!”

“Sure it was, you understood what I meant.”

Rin pouted in mock horror. “Still not a proper confession.”

“You do better then.”

“Sou…”   Rin swallowed. “You’re still my sunshine.”

Sousuke grabbed Rin’s head and kissed him, hard. Rin wasted no time scrambling into his lap. They were both happy Kisumi was no longer there, even if they did look good tangled together without clothes too.

 

¤¤¤

 

Kisumi posted a new picture on the blog, curtesy of James.

#5th wheel #friends in denial #couple 2 #no longer in denial! #finally! #seriously #only 2 more to go!

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey this one actually mentions the beach somewhere, in honor of the week’s theme (Sourin Summerfest, Tumblr).
> 
> I wasn’t that fond of Kisumi in the anime (not sure why, he was just smiling and smirking so much). However, I have since grown a bit fonder of him and I’ve also been wondering what happened to him in the OVA for example. I didn’t think of it at first and I am sure there are tons of possible scenarios, but still… there he is, showing up to see Rin and Sousuke (and the others) and they all run around with the water guns, then at the end there are only those three couples left. There is no mention of what happened to Kisumi at all. Did they see him after the water gun fight? Did he just leave?
> 
> Anyway, I am just using him to get Rin and Sousuke together in this one. I think he’s very well suited for it, as he can see all the couples from the outside. Also, he got a boyfriend of his own too, the poor thing.

**Author's Note:**

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